Social Networks and Mental Health: A Study of Older Adults in Rural Bihar, India

Social Networks and Their Relationship to Mental Health Service Use and Expenditures Among Medicaid Beneficiaries

Social Disconnection in Late Life Mental Illness – Commentary From the National Institute of Mental Health

OBJECTIVE: A significant number of people with mental illness do not use mental health services to receive treatment for their symptoms. This study examined the hypothesis that social network and social support affect mental health service use. METHODS: Data were from the Baltimore cohort of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, a prospective cohort study that gathered data over four time points. This study examined data gathered in 1993–1996 (N=1,920) and 2004–2005 (N=1,071). The study examined indicators of social network and social support in relation to four types of service use (general medical, mental health within general medical, specialty psychiatric, and other human services) with multivariate logistic regression. Examples of other human services include a self-help group or crisis center for help with any psychological problem. Weighted generalized estimating equations were used for the analyses. RESULTS: Among persons with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or alcohol use disorder in the past year or psychological distress in the past few weeks, general medical service use was reduced when the frequency of contact with relatives or friends occurred less than daily, but it was increased by about 40% when there was a higher than median level of spousal support. In contrast, receiving general medical services for mental health problems was reduced by about 50% when there was a higher than median level of social support from relatives. Specialty psychiatric service use was reduced when there was regular contact with six or more relatives and there was a higher than median level of social support from friends and relatives. None of the social network or social support measures were significantly (p≤.01) associated with use of other human services. CONCLUSIONS: Increased contact with the social network and higher levels of social support were associated with greater use of general medical services. However, more social support was associated with use of fewer services within the specialty psychiatric sector.

The role of social networks: A novel hypothesis to explain the phenomenon of racial disparity in kidney transplantation

Together We Can Improve Outcomes in Kidney Failure: Examining Social Networks in Hemodialysis

Social Media and Mental Health: Weighing the Costs and Benefits.

There is limited empirical evidence on the extent to which perceived public stigma prevents individuals from using mental health services, despite substantial recent policy interest in this issue. This study investigated associations between perceived public stigma and mental health care seeking. This study used cross-sectional survey data from a representative sample of undergraduate and graduate students (N=2,782) at one university. A five-item scale was used to assess perceived public stigma toward mental health service use. Perceived need for help in the past 12 months and current presence of depressive and anxiety disorders were also assessed. Perceived stigma was higher among males, older students, Asian and Pacific Islanders, international students, students with lower socioeconomic status backgrounds, and students with current mental health problems. Perceived stigma was also higher among those without any family members or friends who had used mental health services and among those who believed that therapy or medication is not very helpful. Perceived stigma was negatively associated with the likelihood of perceiving a need for mental health services, but only among younger students. Among those with probable depressive or anxiety disorders, there was no evidence that perceived stigma was associated with service use. These results suggest that, at least in this population, perceived stigma may not be as important a barrier to mental health care as the mental health policy discourse currently assumes.

Establishing "community" decreases isolation and social stigma and supports both physical and mental well-being (Ralph & Corrigan, 2005) for many individuals marginalized by the consequences of a mental illness.This chapter will focus on the role of intentional recovery communities in supporting wellness among people living with mental illness.The chapter will introduce the reader to the concept of recovery from mental illness, a broad variety of approaches designed to facilitate and support recovery as well as recovery oriented environments such as clubhouse programs, peer-run drop-in centers, and peer support groups (e.g., Schizophrenia Anonymous, 12-Step).For example, The FRIENDS program, which is based on the philosophy that social networks evolve from building a strong caring intentional community, has been found to increase and maintain social networks over time to impact overall functioning (Wilson, Flanagan, & Rynders, 1999).Thus, the central values of many peer-based recovery communities recognize that mental health well-being has a direct relationship to the involvement with others.Therapeutic communities constitute an important aspect in the treatment of mental illness and substance abuse disorders.These 'bottom-up' approaches have a long history as adjunctive services to psychotherapy and psychiatry and provide a valuable, if not essential, component for many seeking recovery from mental illness and substance related disorders.Mental illness can have devastating effects on an individual's family and social relationships.Individuals with chronic or persistent mental illness can experience the loss of support from friends, family or partners, resulting in small or restricted social support resources.Small social support networks have been associated with mental health concerns such as isolation (Brewer, Gadsden, & Scrimshaw, 1994), and an increased likelihood of depression (Lin, Ye, & Ensel, 1999).Poor or inadequate social support networks have also been associated with increased mortality rates among the general population (Berkman, 1995;Berkman, Glass, Brissette, & Seeman, 2000;House, Landis, & Umberson, 1988).One of the earliest research studies on social networks and mental health began with Emile Durkheim's empirical examination on the effects of the lack of social network ties and community integration and the rate of suicide in metropolitan areas (see Durkheim, 2001).Between 1969 and 1985, the interest in social network and mental health research proliferated with over 1,300 published research articles (Biegel, McCardel, & Mendelson, 1985).Social support networks among people living with severe or chronic mental illness such as schizophrenia, are typically small, and predominately consist of family members or mental www.intechopen.com

Linnemayr, Sebastian PhD; Barreras, Joanna L. PhD; Izenberg, Max MSc; Brooks, Ronald A. PhD; Gonzalez, Ana BA; MacCarthy, Sarah DSc Author Information

This study aims to examine the role of social networks in influencing the physical and mental health of older Chinese adults, investigating both the underlying mechanisms and the associations between social networks, labor force participation, and health outcomes. Using data from the 2021 China General Social Survey (CGSS), we analyzed a sample of 1,332 older adults, incorporating demographic and health-related variables. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and mediation analysis were conducted to evaluate the effects of social networks on health outcomes, with subgroup analyses by gender and education level. Stata 18.0 and SPSS were employed to perform all statistical analyses. Social networks demonstrate a significant positive effect on overall, physical, and mental health at the 1% level, with weak-tie networks exhibiting a more substantial impact on health (β = 0.1146, p < 0.01). In promoting physical health, social networks have a coefficient of 0.1371 (p < 0.001) for females and 0.2128 (p < 0.001) for males. Among individuals with lower education, the coefficient is 0.1561 (p < 0.001), while for those with higher education, it is 0.2184 (p < 0.001). Regarding mental health, social networks yield a coefficient of 0.0747 (p > 0.05) for females and 0.1095 (p < 0.01) for males; for individuals with lower education, the coefficient is 0.0914 (p < 0.01), and for those with higher education, it is 0.0441 (p > 0.05). Media use, subjective wellbeing, and perceived social class are key explanatory mechanisms in the relationship between social networks and health of the older adult. Notably, subjective wellbeing and perceived social class function as chain mediators between social networks and health outcomes. The interaction between social networks and labor participation reveals a significant negative coefficient (β = -0.1864, p < 0.01). Social networks contribute to improved health in older adults, with weak ties playing a particularly significant role, although the effect varies across subgroups. Media use, subjective social class, and wellbeing are important mechanisms linking social networks with older adult health, while labor force participation may serve as a substitute for social networks in health promotion among older adults. This study will inform the improvement of older adults health and the development of labor policies for older adults.

Previous research on mental health disparities shows that persons from racial-ethnic minority groups have less access to mental health care, engage in less treatment, and receive poorer-quality treatment than non-Hispanic whites. Attitudes and beliefs about mental health treatment were examined to determine whether they contribute to these disparities. Data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) were analyzed to determine attitudes toward treatment-seeking behavior among people of non-Hispanic white, African-American, and Hispanic or Latino race-ethnicity. Additional sociodemographic variables were examined in relation to attitudes and beliefs toward treatment. African-American race-ethnicity was a significant independent predictor of greater reported willingness to seek treatment and lesser reported embarrassment if others found out about being in treatment. These findings persisted when analyses adjusted for socioeconomic variables. Hispanic or Latino race-ethnicity also was associated with an increased likelihood of willingness to seek professional help and lesser embarrassment if others found out, but these differences did not persist after adjustment for the effects of socioeconomic variables. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, African Americans and Hispanics or Latinos may have more positive attitudes toward mental health treatment seeking than non-Hispanic whites. To improve access to mental health services among racial-ethnic minority groups, it is crucial to better understand a broader array of individual-, provider-, and system-level factors that may create barriers to care.

Race-Ethnicity as a Predictor of Attitudes Toward Mental Health Treatment Seeking

In this study, the authors examined the combined effects of caregiver mental health, alcohol use, and social network support/satisfaction on child mental health needs among African American caregiver--child dyads at risk of maltreatment. The sample included 514 eight-year-old African American children and their caregivers who participated in the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. A structural equation model was created with caregiver mental health/alcohol use and caregiver social network support/satisfaction as the exogenous variables and child mental health need as the endogenous variable. Caregivers with less-supportive networks and whose capacity to parent was challenged by alcohol, depression, or other mental health problems had children with elevated mental health needs. These findings confirm the need to examine the effects of caregiver influences (for example, caregiver mental health and social network support/satisfaction) on mental health among African American children at risk of maltreatment and to further explain how the social networks of caregivers are accessed when caregivers and children have mental health problems. Implications for identifying mental health needs among this vulnerable group and improving their connections to formal mental health services through social network-level interventions are discussed. KEY WORDS: African American children; child maltreatment; child neglect; mental health; social network ********** Children at risk of maltreatment (child abuse or neglect) also are at increased risk of experiencing mental health problems (Johnson et al, 2002; Manly, Kim, Rogosch, & Ciccheti, 2001). In a nationally representative study, almost half (47.9%) of maltreated children and youths had clinically significant emotional/behavioral problems (Burns et al., 2004). Although such large studies of mental health provide important population norms, the impact that family factors have on the mental health needs of children in particular subpopulations remains virtually unknown (Thompson & May, 2006). African American children are of particular interest because they are disproportionately likely to be reported for maltreatment (Fluke, Yuan, & Curtis, 2003); to live in low-income families and reside in neighborhoods characterized by high violence and drug exposure--factors that may precipitate emotional problems (R. H. Bradley, Corwyn, Pipes-McAdoo, & Garcia-Coll, 2001); and to have mental health needs that go unmet (Lindsey et al., 2006; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001, 2003). What has not been clear from previous research is the extent to which caregivers, whose psychosocial stressors might also influence their child's mental health problems, rely on their social networks for assistance and whether limitations in these networks might further exacerbate child emotional or behavioral problems. Examining the combined effects of caregiver mental health/alcohol use and caregiver social network support/satisfaction is essential to understanding how mental health symptoms are defined and expressed among maltreated African American children. CAREGIVER MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD MENTAL HEALTH Cross-sectional and retrospective studies have consistently found that children of parents with psychiatric disorders fare more poorly than do children of parents without these problems (Beardslee, Versage, & Gladstone, 1998; Black & Krishnakumar, 1998). For example, researchers have found that children of depressed parents are at greater risk of psychiatric disorders than are children of nondepressed parents (Beardslee et al., 1998;Hammen & Brennan, 2003; Kim et al., 2003). In their meta-analysis, Lavoie and Hodgins (1994) found that children of depressed parents are four times more likely to develop an affective disorder than are children with nondepressed parents. Maternal depression has also been associated with child delinquency, alcohol problems, academic difficulty, and interpersonal conflict (Davies & Windle, 1997; Lewinsohn, Olino, & Klein, 2005; McCombs-Thomas & Forehand, 1991). …

10.1176/appi.ps.59.1.105

The uncertainties of the pandemic and the restrictions on social life have a strong impact on mental well-being, and especially on the expression of schizotypal traits, which are further boosted by excessive media consumption.